Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany is a nation that exists in the Bella Gerant Alii timeline. The duchy is consists mainly of the territories of Brittany and Anjou in the northwest of old France. The populace of the duchy were mostly Armagnac supporters from the Hundred Years War who resisted the [Burgundian expansion into French territories. As a result, the duchy has close ties with Aquitaine. History Hundred Years War Brittany was nominally independent from France during the Hundred Years War, but supported France over the English and Burgundians. After Duke Francis II died in battle, his young daughter Anna, became Duchess. Heir to a rich region, she had many suitors, but was wed to Maximilian I of Austria, a man powerful enough to counter the machinations of the Burgundians. Second Breton War John III, the Duke of Burgundy, wished to marry the heiress himself. In 1490, he invaded Brittany. His forces met with and defeated the Breton-Aquitanian forces under Geoffrey of Angers, capturing the count and initiating the Second Breton War of Succession . Timely intervention of an Austrian army, led by the Emperor and Duchess, led to the repulsion of the Burgundians. The English, supporting John's cause, marched an army from Normandy under Prince Henry to take Rennes. At the same time, an English navy defeated the Breton fleet and suppressed trade along the coast. However, an Aquitanian fleet sunk the English ships and broke the blockade. Subsequently, lack of supplies and numerous defeats led to the surrender of Henry and English retreat from the war. After killing Duke Francis II of Aquitaine in battle, the Burgundians turned once again to defeat Maximilian. A surprise ambush by allied forces led to the surrender of Burgundian-held Clermont-Ferrand and Lyons and the Peace of Nantes, restoring the status quo. Divorce from Austria After Duchess Anna and Maximilian had their marriage annulled, Anna remarried to Geoffrey, Count of Angers. Their daughter, Duchess Henrietta, was wed to Francis III, son of Francis II and now Duke of Aquitaine, uniting the two duchies in a personal union. Formal Annexation Aquitaine formally annexed Brittany upon the death of Francis III and succession of Francis IV, his son by Henrietta. The marriage of Henrietta and Francis was deemed illegitimate by the Duke of Burgundy as John IV had not given his blessing for the wedding. As a price, Henry II imposed his rule upon a part of the former duchy, retaining it as a vassal until 1604. Autonomy By the year 1817, the Duchy of Aquitaine was formally dissolved and split into several minor states. The Foix dynasty still maintained control over Bordeaux, Brittany, Aquitaine, Navarre and Anjou, in a personal union lasting until 1982, when the Foix dynasty was exiled and the French Republic was proclaimed. Reintegration In 2017, the French Republic and sub-kingdoms collapsed and a new France was created under the House of Bourbonnais. The ruling dynasty retained absolute power in many of the western provinces, including Brittany, whereas the eastern regions; such as Picardy and Lorraine retained autonomy. The Bourbonnais family fell from power after attempting to annex Franche-Comte. The intervention of Castille and Hibernia ensured the fall of the French Union. Return of the Foix Dynasty Brittany was briefly administered by Hibernia before being gifted to Navarre, still ruled by the House of Foix, after the overturning of the law forbidding the Foix dynasty to rule Navarre and Aquitaine under one monarch. Category:Monarchies (Bella Gerant Alii) Category:Brittany